NASCAR: Richmond fence climber gets jail time

The fan who scaled the catch fencing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond in September has been sentenced to jail.

A court in Virginia found James Dennis guilty of being drunk in public and disorderly conduct and sentenced him to a year in jail with all but one month suspended. However, that sentence is likely to be halved under state law due to his crimes being classified as misdemeanors. Dennis was also fined $100 on each count.

A police officer testified that Dennis had told them that he climbed the fence because it was his birthday and he wanted to be on TV. According to reports, the nearest security guard was distracted by a fight elsewhere in the crowd and did not notice the 53-year-old approaching the fence.

Race officials were forced to throw a caution until Dennis could be coaxed back down several minutes later.

"We're pleased with today's outcome," said a statement issued by Richmond International Raceway. "We take the safety of our guests and competitors very seriously. We want our guests to come and have a good experience and not insert themselves into the competition or put themselves or the competitors at risk."